France bars Israeli offensive weapons from Eurosatory 2026

France has barred the display of Israeli offensive weapons at the 2026 edition of the Eurosatory defence and security exhibition, organisers said on Monday, June 1, confirming a government-imposed restriction on participating companies.

“Only Israeli exhibitors showcasing anti-ballistic and anti-air defence systems will be allowed,” said Charles Beaudouin, head of COGES Events, the event organiser, in response to a protest statement issued by the Israeli Defence Ministry, as quoted by Euronews.

“This is a decision taken by the French government, by the Defence Council,” Beaudouin added.

He further clarified the scope of the restrictions, stating: “There is no room for ambiguity: if an exhibitor also manufactures rockets, they will not be allowed to display them. This rules out any offensive weapons.”

The French Armed Forces Ministry confirmed the policy, telling Franceinfo: “We have set a clear framework, namely an exhibition limited to Israeli equipment and systems related to air defence and missile defence.”

“Israeli exhibitors who comply with this framework will be able to showcase their companies' equipment at Eurosatory,” the ministry added.

The Israeli Defence Ministry strongly criticised the decision, saying it would be “unable to take part in the fair or set up a national pavilion there”.

“This is a shameful decision, reeking of political and commercial calculation and, unfortunately, it is not surprising. It is part of a deeply worrying trend in French behaviour in recent years,” the ministry said, referring to Paris’s broader stance.

The move follows earlier tensions over Israeli participation in French defence exhibitions. According to RTL, Israeli arms manufacturers had already been excluded from the 2024 edition of Eurosatory, with the French Armed Forces Ministry at the time arguing that “the conditions are no longer in place to host Israeli companies at the fair” amid the war in Gaza.

That exclusion was later overturned by the Paris Commercial Court, which ruled that banning Israeli firms from the exhibition was “discriminatory” and ordered the measure to be lifted.

A similar dispute arose at the 2025 Paris Air Show held at Le Bourget, where companies, including Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, were prevented from exhibiting after refusing to remove offensive weapons from their displays.

The latest decision comes against the backdrop of rising tensions between France and Israel over regional developments. Since late February, Paris has repeatedly condemned Israeli strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group.

On Sunday, France called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council following the Israeli army’s capture of Beaufort Castle, a strategic site dating back to the Crusades, where Israeli forces raised their flag.

Eurosatory is scheduled to run from June 15 to 19 at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition centre, north of the French capital. Organisers said the event is expected to host 2,032 exhibitors across 42 national pavilions, along with 334 official delegations from 93 countries and approximately 43,000 professional visitors from 155 countries.

By Tamilla Hasanova